Rebecca Murray was shot dead by her husband Lee Mikeal Cawthon on April 17, 2017. Their relationship had been strained for a long time and when Rebecca asked for a divorce from her husband, he became furious.
Lee shot his wife in the stomach and upon seeing her suffering, he shot her a couple more times in the chest and head. In total, eight shots were fired and after she died, Lee placed coins on her eyes as part of a Greek mythological death ritual. The shocking incident took place at the couple's South Carolina home.
Lee then cleaned the crime scene and fled but soon returned to hide the body. Rebecca's corpse was found in a 55-gallon oil drum in an oil pit under a tractor on the couple's property.
This tragic case will be explained in detail in the upcoming episode of Evil Lives Here on ID titled Ménage à Terror. The episode will air on April 2, 2023, at 9:00 pm ET/PT.
The official synopsis of the episode reads:
"Genie already knows Lee Cawthon is capable of horrible things when he forces her into a polygamous relationship; she plays along with his twisted demands, but doesn't realize that the consequences of letting him have his way might be worse."Rebecca Murray's open relationship with Lee, her cause of death, and more details about the case
1) Rebecca Murray was 17 at the time of her marriage
Rebecca married Lee when she was just 17 years old. The couple in fact met for the first time when the victim was just 8. Lee was previously married to a woman named Jessica and divorced her in 2002. He then began dating Rebbeca.
The duo tied the knot in 2006 and moved back to South Carolina into Lee’s grandfather’s property two years into their marriage. The couple soon began running a liquor store business together.
2) The couple decided to enter an open relationship in 2013
Six years after tying the knot, the couple decided to try being in an open marriage. This is when they crossed paths with Allite Franks, an exotic dancer, through a dating website. Things moved smoothly in the beginning, but the couple's relationship took a turn once their liquor store shut permanently.
To earn a paycheck, Rebecca joined the same place Allite worked as an exotic dancer. Rebecca Murray and Allite eventually got closer and fell in love. Rebecca and Lee later got into another polyamorous relationship, but this time with a man named Thad Sosebee. This was the first time a male was introduced to the relationship.
3) Lee Mikeal Cawthon first shot at his wife accidentally
On April 16, 2017, Lee, Rebecca, and Thad Sosebee spent the evening drinking together. Once home, the couple had an argument and Lee ended up hitting his wife and injuring her. She had to get six stitches for her wound but lied to the doctors about it by saying she had fallen down the stairs.
She then went to Thad Sosebee’s house. When she returned home to collect her things, her husband shot her. He claimed that the first shot to her stomach was accidental. He then shot her a couple of more times when he saw her suffering.
4) Lee performed a Greek mythological death ritual after killing his wife
After his wife succumbed to her injuries, Lee claimed to have placed coins on her eyes as part of a Greek mythological death ritual.
In ancient Greece, people were known to put a coin known as Charon's obol in the mouths/eyes of the deceased. Such rituals have been seen in several movies like in the 2004 film, Troy, starring Brad Pitt.
5) The victim's body was placed in a 55-gallon oil drum
After killing his wife and performing the Greek mythological death ritual, Lee fled the scene. He then returned to cover his tracks and dispose of the body.
He then confessed that he placed his wife's remains in a 55-gallon oil drum, which he placed in the oil pit under the tractor on their property. Rebecca was 33 years old at the time of her death.
To know more about the case in detail, watch Evil Lives Here on ID on April 2, 2023, at 9:00 pm.
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